13 rules for teachers to avoid causing Death by Powerpoint

PowerPoint is a tool like a pen or a typewriter…

The big difference between these tools is not the technology involved but the fact that a poor lesson dominated by a long, linear lecture delivered by PowerPoint is often blamed on the tool not the teacher. We do not blame the pen or the typewriter for a badly written book, so we should not dismiss PowerPoint as a very important educational tool because it isn’t used effectively.

To continue my rant for a little longer I will add that the cynical sense of snobbery that exists regarding the use of PowerPoint as an educational tool from the ‘Death by PowerPoint‘ (DBP) brigade usually occurs for one of three reasons:

A) Those that use the DBP problem to dismiss PowerPoint altogether. This is usually by people who are relatively techno-phobic and seize on any excuse not to introduce technology into the classroom.

B) The type of techies who like to keep all the technology a mystery and set themselves up as gurus. You can spot these types because when you ask them a question they will reply in full on jargon that they know you don’t understand (the aim is to show you what they know rather than to actually help you) and always leave a few key steps out so you never quite learn to do something with confidence (and so prevent you also reaching guru status). PowerPoint is a particular threat to them as it is actually very easy to learn and also has a huge hidden array of abilities most of us don’t even know about. Ordinary folk learning effective PowerPoint risks their elite status.

C) Those that actually like technology and want to see it used effectively and correctly so that the crowd in group A can stop whinging, we can take group B down a peg or two and our students have a positive, productive learning experience. This crowd see’s poor PowerPoint use as a threat to the use of technology in class and can often look elsewhere for other approaches.

I belong to the C group (though I do suspect I have my moments when I wander into the B camp) but do think we can run the risk of missing out on a great tool by not treating PowerPoint with the respect it deserves.

Death by PowerPoint does exist. I have fallen foul of it myself many a time. So I have a set of rules if I am designing a PowerPoint presentation to deliver a lesson:

My 13 top tips are:

1) No more than 5 information slides (ie. no interactivity) without an instruction slide prompting a paper-based or practical activity for the students so focus is away from the whiteboard. Of course this varies with the age-group, with Sixth Form I may have one or two more, lower years much less. Adding actual instruction slides prompts change of activity and prevents the teacher from falling in love with their own voice and getting carried away.

This is the key rule designed to prevent Death by PowerPoint.

2) Add a ‘write-on’ activity interactive slide by switching the pointer to a pen within the first 2 or three slides. Good for brainstorming previous knowledge. Obviously this method can be employed throughout and totally plain slides can be used for students to write on. (Right click on screen and you can change pointer format during a show).

3) Inter-mingle information slides with interactive slides with quiz questions, video clip or flash activity to summarise sections: just one or two multiple choice questions, card sort activity etc. or online quiz. This does not affect rule 1, interactive slides don’t count as one of the 5 information slides (but don’t get daft and have a 100 quiz questions).

4) Don’t use a fancy theme or background effects. Themes must not detract from the information or indeed make it difficult to see. Get your font and background contrast right. What is okay on the screen will look different on a white-board.

5) Vary the theme between your presentations slightly so it does not become monotonous for students and each topic has a different ‘feel’. I have even had students vote on the colour theme for the next topic if I am making a new presentation.

6) Use WordArt and sound effects sparingly (if at all). WordArt certainly should not be used as titles for information slides. I hate WordArt!

7) Use relevant images and place near text. Do not use images for the sake of it or to fill up space. Sometimes an image or picture on its own works wonders for discussion and or with brief instruction for an instruction slide (eg. for paper-based activity or role-play).

Either have no slide transition effects or very simple ones unless needed for a single special effect. They do not add to the information. If a transition effect is used throughout the presentation then it should be the same one.

9) Never use more than ten lines of text. Font size usually 24 and Arial or Comic sans (for lower school) is best. No fancy fonts (especially hand-writing ones) and minimise use of all capitals to help dyslexics (and everyone else if we are honest).

10) Don’t bullet point everything. (see image for joke. See! The image is relevant!)

11) Animate slides so information is revealed in stages. This keeps students at your pace. However keep animation relevant to revealing information and use the same one or two throughout. Wipe, appear and fade are often the best (though I have been known to include bouncing peas in a genetics presentation…couldn’t resist). Motion paths should also be smooth. Avoid whooshing in text and spiralling in clipart etc. Keep it simple (that could be added to a lot of the rules).

12) Prepare a student version presentation to provide two slides/page handouts. I often use student versions with incomplete diagrams so that they can label as I work through the teacher version of the presentation. Don’t give out notes pages with full details as pupils switch off as they think they can read them later (alternatively hand them out at the end).

13) Allow the students to know the length and style of the presentation. This isn’t really a rule specific to PowerPoint but is linked to the practice of informing students of their lesson objective and outline. What are they expected to do whilst working through the presentation with you, how long is the topic, how many slides etc. I don’t know why we don’t collaborate more with our students as to how they want their lessons to proceed. A sense of ownership always helps motivation and behaviour (but that is a topic for another day).

Yes I know, I should have done a 10 top tips not a 13 top tips, but at least I have kept the alliteration going (sort of)!

Key concepts: information slides, interactive slides, instruction slides, relevance, simplicity and collaboration.

Any you disagree with or can add? Let me know.

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